(Newser)
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The financing of The Wolf of Wall Street was "a case of life imitating art," prosecutors say—with shady Malaysian officials standing in for Leonardo DiCaprio's stock-swindling character. On Wednesday, the Justice Department accused Malaysian officials of plundering more than $3.5 billion from the country's 1MDB economic development fund and using the proceeds to finance the Hollywood movie and pay off gambling debts, as well as to buy luxury US real estate, hotels, a $35 million jet, and art, including works by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, NBC News reports. The feds, who accuse officials of defrauding the Malaysian people "on an enormous scale," are trying to seize around $1 billion in assets that were bought using money laundered through American banks.

"In seeking to seize these forfeited items, the Department of Justice is sending a message that we will not allow the United States to become a playground for the corrupt," says Eileen Decker, the US attorney in Los Angeles, per the AP. "And we will not allow it to be a platform for money laundering or a place to hide and invest in stolen riches." A civil lawsuit has been filed but not criminal charges. The Wall Street Journal notes that the case, which is the largest ever handled by the Justice Department's anti-corruption unit, is likely to cause a confrontation between the US and Malaysian governments, especially since sources say the "Malaysian Official 1" referred to 32 times in the complaint is none other than Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. (Earlier this year, Malaysia's attorney general claimed there was nothing fishy about a $681 million "gift" mysteriously transferred to Razak's accounts.)

https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/u-sues-seize-1-billion-000234537.html If you're Jean Valjean, and steal bread to eat, you go to prison. But, if you steal $3.5 billion there are no criminal charges, only a civil suit. When the prime minister of a nation skims $3.5 billion from his people I guess it's a victimless crime. The peasants never would've noticed it was missing anyway, right? Meanwhile, our administration is worried about relations with this PM, because he's an ally against Muslim extremists. He's a common criminal. He is not Malaysia, or the Malaysian people. He is one man, and a very corrupt one. Let him be replaced. Others involved in this mega-heist: Jho Low, financier and founder of Jynwel Capital, Malaysia; the co-founder of Petro-Saudi; and, two Abu Dhabi officials (former officials at an AD sovereign fund). A couple of the banks involved: UBS and Goldman Sachs.

dan6807

Jul 21, 2016 6:40 PM CDT

How about a better message; Stop sending billions to countries instead of real aid. The State department thinks throwing taxpayer money at a problem fixes it but it always creates bigger problems, someone getting rich under the table. Meanwhile the taxpayer is always being ripped off. This hasn't changed in my 60 years so wake up and smell the S**T.

Why_so_seriouss_sa

Jul 21, 2016 2:15 PM CDT

"The Dep't of Justice is sending the message that the U.S. is not a playground for corruption." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Corruption runs rampant on the U.S playground - by politicians, city bosses, corporations, CEO's, LEO's, and the lowly commoners!